


Honeysuckle And Dumbness

by red_rook



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Post Season 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:47:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24216889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/red_rook/pseuds/red_rook
Summary: scorpia wants to ask perfuma out on a date so she makes the disaster gays (catra and adora) help her outseason 5 spoilers!!
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Scorpia (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 410





	Honeysuckle And Dumbness

“Do you think Perfuma likes flowers?” 

They’re on patrol: Scorpia, Adora, and Catra, the way they might have been years ago if they’d still been ‘Horde scum’. Except now, they don’t kill or even fight: they go from town to town and heal, in the name of the Princesses. In some towns, Adora uses her She-Ra powers to facilitate new growth of the twisted and dead plants and wildlife. Thaymor, unfortunately, will require manual labor from all three of them.

Catra snorts. “Uh, _duh._ Her whole dumb gimmick is about flowers.”

“Hey,” Adora jumps in, gentle but firm. “Remember what I said about calling powers dumb gimmicks?”

Her girlfriend rolls her eyes, twitching her tail in annoyance. But one corner of her mouth curls up in that secret little smile the two of them share all the time now. “Yeah, yeah, fine. Your painfully obvious crush’s _powers_ are about flowers. Better?”

“Wait, who’s crushing on who?” Adora blinks. By now, it’s been months since Horde Prime had been defeated for good and everyone’s finally gotten to know each other properly. As friends, the way they should have long ago. During that time, it’s become clear to everyone why Adora and Catra never, at least officially, dated in the Horde: Adora is possibly the most oblivious person to ever set foot on Etheria.

(It also became very clear to Scorpia why Catra never liked her back: there was no way she could compete with the way Adora looked at her girlfriend, like her whole world was spinning out of control and the only string holding her to the ground is Catra’s two-toned gaze.)

But still. “It’s not painfully obvious, jeez! Wait, is it? And I meant, like, giving flowers to show affection. But, like, affection in a romantic way. You know? Like, _Perfuma you are so sweet and nice and words can’t describe how great you are and you’re way prettier than this flower is but it’s the best I can do to compare._ ”

“Ohhh, you have a crush on Perfuma? Whoa! What? Since when? I-” Adora’s bubbliness is cut off by Catra’s hand clamping down on her mouth. 

“Dude, yes, everyone knew except you because you don’t notice anything going on around you. Glimmer, Double Trouble, and I had a bet going to see how long it’d take for the two of you to finally get together. Every day you beat around the bush, Glimmer owes me more money.” Catra gives Scorpia a toothy, very self-satisfied grin. 

Adora whips Catra’s hand off of her mouth, shoving her playfully. But Catra catches Adora’s hands in her own, and then _dips_ her like they aren’t in the middle of a slowly rebuilding Thaymor surrounded by-

“ _Children!_ There are kids here, and I love you guys so much, but please get your hormones under control for a little while at least. Let’s not scar them even more than they already have been, okay guys?”

Adora turns bright red, like she is wont to do whenever she is near Catra or whenever anyone brings her girlfriend up to her, but Catra just smirks. “You’re just jealous that you don’t get to do the same thing to Perfuma.” 

“That’s _exactly_ why you gotta help me, wildcat,” Scorpia begs as they begin handing out bags of wheat to the villagers. “You’re way smoother than me. You know how to talk to girls! If anyone can help me confess to Perfuma and get her to go out with me, it’s definitely you.”

“Hey,” Adora interjects, “I know how to talk to girls too. How come you aren’t asking for _my_ help?”

Catra guffaws so loudly she drops the bag of wheat she’s holding, earning her a dirty look from the wizened old villager lady she was meant to be handing it to. With a quick apology and a replacement bag for the mollified villager, she kisses Adora lightly on the nose. “You’re so stupid, it’s cute.”

“I’m just saying,” Adora replies, with a waggle of her eyebrows, “that if I _couldn’t_ talk to girls I wouldn’t have managed to get you to be into me. So clearly that means I have some level of skill.” For this, she earns a punch on the arm, which she laughs off.

They’ve run out of bags of wheat, which means it’s time to help mortar the broken-down walls of many a Thaymor home. For this significantly more arduous task, Adora strips off her jacket and top, leaving her in just her breast bindings and simple pants. The way Catra’s eyes follow her girlfriend’s newly-exposed upper body is very, very, conspicuous. Scorpia chooses not to humiliate her by pointing it out, but the temptation is definitely there.

“Either way,” Scorpia continues, as she begins to mix the mortar, “do you think giving flowers to her is gonna be a bad idea, then? Since she’s so used to it… She’d probably think I didn’t make any kind of effort and turn me down on the spot!”

Catra smiles at Scorpia, and for once it’s half-genuine instead of a smirk. “Honestly, if you asked her out with this bucket of mortar as a gift she’d still say yes. She’s pretty crazy about you too, you know. She _still_ won’t shut up about that time when you sang at that soiree in front of everyone.”

“That’s easy for you to say though. I’m not hot like you or Adora, you know? I’m just kind of a… a lump. With scorpion bits attached.” Scorpia sighs, running her claw through her hair.

Adora, who had wrapped her legs around the scaffolding of the house they’re meant to be working on and dutifully applying mortar, hops off the scaffolding and points at Scorpia nervously. “Uh, your hair…”

It’s only then that Scorpia remembers that the claw she’d run through her hair in frustration had just had mortar splattered on it. “Oh, crud! Ah well, I was due for a haircut anyway.”

“And I overheard what you said. Um, I feel a bit weird saying this, but you’re hot too.” Adora blushes slightly when she says it. “Like, obviously I’m biased here, but I think Catra is gorgeous. Always have. But I know she’s always had a bit of self-esteem issues about her appearance, just like you. If Perfuma likes you back, then she’s gonna think you’re perfect just the way you are.” 

“Unlike Adora, I don’t throw out compliments everywhere like it’s candy, so when I say I agree with her on this, you know I mean it.” Catra nods sagely. 

“But I _do_ think you’re perfect just the way you are.”

“You’re so embarrassing.” Catra is pink now, and hides her face in Adora’s back, throwing her arms around her waist and pulling her close.

“Guys, let’s get some work done. We’re almost done, c’mon! Then we can all go back to Bright Moon and you guys can be lovey-dovey. Which I totally one hundred percent support! Just saying! But maybe not now?”

“Ugh. Yes, mom.” Catra breaks away from her girlfriend, looking very upset at doing so, and goes back to painting over the craters on the broken-down roof of the house. Adora, looking equally as disappointed, hops back on the scaffolding. They work in silence for another half hour, until Catra hops back down from the roof, dusting her hands off smugly: She’d finished before Adora had.

“By the way, while we wait for my dumb girlfriend to take forever on patching up the walls-”

“I heard that!”

“-I have an idea for you. If you ask me, confessing when they’re dying and in the middle of an intergalactic crisis is the way to go. But you’re lame, so you wanna be all sappy right?”

“Yeah, I’d really rather not see Perfuma dying, ever.” Scorpia laughs nervously. “What’s your plan?”

“Well, Perfuma really digged it when you were super confident and singing in front of an audience, right? Why don’t we get some of our friends to play you guys music, and then you’re in a sexy dress or whatever and you ask her out?”

“You should sing!” Adora pipes up. She’s putting her shirt back on as she walks toward the two of them, the sun having already beat down on her skin enough to turn it slightly more golden. 

“What? How’s she gonna sing if she’s asking out Perfuma, you dork?”

“No- I mean you! You should sing. I know you’re good at it. I’ve heard you sometimes. Back in the Fright Zone, in the communal showers when you thought you were alone-”

“Catra can _sing?_ ” Scorpia’s eyes are huge. 

“N-no! I can’t!” Catra stammers. Then she turns on Adora. “Were you _spying_ on me? Pervert.”

“No, I wasn’t! I wasn’t… ugh, you’re so annoying!”

“ _You’re_ annoying,” Catra snipes back, sticking her tongue out. Adora chases after her, catching her very quickly, and the two collide with the ground. Instead of fighting, though, Catra just giggles and Adora tucks the stray strands of Catra’s hair back behind her ears, which twitch happily. But Adora sits back up quickly once their transport back to Bright Moon arrives: Entrapta had repurposed the old Horde transports for the patrol teams, so they could travel around and help people efficiently.

“Catra can sing?” Scorpia repeats once they’re on the transport.

“Yes!” Adora grins proudly. “She’s really good, even if she won’t ever admit it. And I think Bow is good at guitar. Sea Hawk could help, too… but I don’t think you really want that.”

“Err, yeah. I love the guy, but maybe not this time,” Scorpia agrees. “This could work! Thanks, guys!”

“Wait. Who said I agreed to sing?” Catra crosses her arms and glares at both of them. 

To which both princesses looked at Catra with massive puppy-dog eyes, hands clasped. “Pleeeeeeeaaaase?”

It takes only seconds before Catra breaks. “Fine!” she snaps. “But if I catch you recording it, Adora, we’re sleeping in separate rooms for the foreseeable future.”

“I agree to this deal,” Adora says very formally, shaking her girlfriend’s hand like she’s an ambassador. “However, I would also like to present the evidence that _you_ came to _my_ room to sleep with me. Therefore, I am irresistible and even if I recorded you singing you wouldn’t be able to keep yourself away.”

“Says the one who surrendered herself to the emperor of the known universe just to come get me even after I told you to stay away.” They bicker the whole way back, but Scorpia is lost in thought, thinking of Perfuma, and doesn’t come out of her reverie til they touch down on Bright Moon.

That night, after dinner, she is accosted by Glimmer, Bow, and Catra. All of them have determined looks on their faces, except Catra, who looks impossibly smug.

“Are you ready?” Bow asks with a huge grin, the second she’s in earshot. 

Scorpia blinks rapidly. “What?”

Glimmer takes over. “We heard that you wanted to ask out Perfuma! So Bow and Catra have been practicing a super cute love song for the whole day, and Adora managed to get Perfuma to wait in the gardens. So hurry up and change! Let’s do this thing!”

“Wait, what? We’re doing this _tonight_? Uh, I don’t think I can. Um, maybe tomorrow, or…?”

“Don’t be dumb,” Catra asserts, tilting her head. “Tonight is as good of a night as any. If you keep putting it off like this you’re never gonna get it done and over with. C’mon, grow a pair.”

“Catra said it more graphically that I would have, but she’s right,” Bow chimes in. “Besides, Adora, Catra, Glimmer, and I are leaving soon, once most of the repairs are done. Who’s gonna serenade you when we’re gone?”

“I’ll help you with your make-up!” Glimmer says cheerfully.

“Okay, okay!” Scorpia can’t help but feel energized: the three of them just look so happy. “You’re right! Let’s do this!” With a cheer, Glimmer grabs her by the hand and pulls Scorpia into her quarters, slamming the door shut behind the two of them. Moments later, once Scorpia has started to rummage through her clothes and Glimmer has begun to organize her makeup bag, Catra slips inside and throws herself on Scorpia’s bed.

“You should wear the red one,” Catra says, curled up on Scorpia’s pillows like she is the queen of the realm of Scorpia’s bed. “Red is an intense color. It makes you think of sex, or violence.”

“But I don’t want Perfuma to think about violence.”

“I promise, if you wear that red dress, she will definitely be thinking about the other thing.”

“Gross, Catra!” Glimmer throws a bottle of mascara at her. “Just because Adora lets you leave hickies all over her neck doesn’t mean the rest of us want to hear about you talking about sex.”

Scorpia gapes, the red dress Catra had crudely recommended still only half on her body. “Those were hickies? Adora said they were bruises. Said she fell down the stairway. On her neck. In hindsight, that story did seem a bit unbelievable...”

Catra simply cackles.

Fifteen minutes later, they’re out of the room, Scorpia sporting a fresh new makeover courtesy of Glimmer. As they walk toward the gardens, Scorpia tries and fails over and over to think of what words to say. She feels distinctly like they are escorting her to the executioner.

Once the garden is in sight, Scorpia stops and turns to them desperately. “Guys, wait, I really don’t know what I’m going to say. I’m really not good at this kind of thing. I’m going to flub it and…”

“Didn’t I already tell you that Perfuma is still going to want to jump on that even if you screw it up?” Catra replies carelessly. “Relax. Just… say what’s in your heart.”

“You have a really good and pure heart,” Bow reminds Scorpia reassuringly. “If you’re honest about what’s in it, Perfuma will love to hear it no matter what.”

Scorpia remembers the look on Perfuma’s face when Scorpia had begun to sing, how she’d thrown her a rose like Scorpia was the most charming performer Perfuma had ever had the grace to see on stage. She takes a deep breath and nods.

It isn’t long until she sees her, waiting in the gardens, admiring all the flower bushes and the trees with Adora. Her face is caught in the moonlight when she turns to see Scorpia, and her freckles, which Scorpia has always found to be adorable, are cast dazzlingly against her skin. 

“Scorpia?” Perfuma says, and Scorpia’s heart thuds just a little faster. 

“Um, hey, Perfuma! It’s, uh, good to see you! How, uh, how are you doing?” Before Scorpia can shove her foot any further in her mouth, Bow interrupts, thankfully, by strumming his guitar loudly.

“Perfuma!” Catra jumps in. “Bow and I wrote you a song. Do you wanna hear it?”

Perfuma immediately brightens. She’s so beautiful. “I would love to hear anything my friends wrote for me! Especially when there are such positive vibes surrounding us!”

Bow and Catra launch into song, and Adora’s right: Catra has a beautiful singing voice. It’s throaty and soft and impossibly full of emotion. It’s perfect. It makes Scorpia want to dance.

And then she knows what to do. She extends a claw. “Wanna dance?”

Perfuma smiles brilliantly and, bypassing Scorpia’s claw, puts her arms lightly around Scorpia’s shoulders. Her touch feels like it’s warming Scorpia to the core, the way the Black Garnet does, except this is much softer and has no violence in it. 

“Adora said you had something to talk to me about. What is it?” Catra’s singing in the background, as melting and gentle as it is, can’t distract Scorpia from Perfuma’s face. Scorpia has always known Perfuma isn’t impossibly oblivious the way Adora is, and, looking into her eyes now, it’s clear that _she knows._

She’s just waiting for Scorpia to say the words.

“You look great tonight,” Scorpia begins, falteringly. The words are so hard to get out. Why did Catra make it seem like it would be natural? This is terrifying. But she’s too far gone now. 

She takes a deep breath, to mollify herself. “Doyouwannagooutwithme?”

Crap. That went horribly. 

Perfuma laughs. She smells like honeysuckle, a flower she’d taught Scorpia about a month ago. There were no flowers in the Fright Zone, of course, but out of the flowers she’s started to learn about honeysuckle is definitely her favorite. “What did you say?”

Scorpia turns to see Catra, who’s briefly paused in her singing. Catra gives her a resolute nod, and it’s the little push she needs. “Do you want to go out with me sometime? On a date? Because I really like you. You’re beautiful, and smart, and so kind, and you make my days brighter. And I want to get to know you better in a romantic way.”

Adora, Bow, Glimmer, and Catra all audibly exhale. Adora grins and throws Scorpia a thumbs up. 

Perfuma’s smile now is the most gorgeous thing Scorpia has ever seen in her entire life. “Of course! I like you too. You are so strong, and loyal, and pretty. And this was a wonderful way to ask me out. Thank you, Catra.”

Scorpia’s eyes widen. “Wait, you guys _told_ her?”

Adora rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. “Truth be told, we all thought you’d, uh, be too scared to do it. Hey, but it ended up turning out great!”

“We only told her so Perfuma knew to help you along a little when you asked her out,” Glimmer offers, equally as sheepish. “Also, I have to go. Double Trouble owes me _sooo_ much money!” And with that, she disappeared in a cloud of sparkles, holding Bow’s hand in a death grip. 

“I was very flattered when they told me,” Perfuma reassures Scorpia. “In fact, I got so excited that I started making plans for our first date! How does Mystacor sound?”

“I- um…” Scorpia is incredibly lost. “I guess Mystacor sounds great?”

“Excellent! I’ll start making preparations right away!” And with that, she’s gone as well. Adora wastes no time in following her.

Within minutes, it’s just her and Catra, the way it had been back in the old days.

Scorpia is still dumbfounded, and after a while Catra takes the cue. “Don’t be mad,” she says gruffly, scuffing her feet. “At them, anyway. This whole thing was my idea. Including telling Perfuma. Sorry if I, uh, humiliated you.”

“I’m not mad,” Scorpia replies. Catra’s ears perk up. “Actually, I’m really grateful to you! I definitely would not have been brave enough to do this on my own. You got me a date! I owe you one, Catra.”

“Nah.” Catra gives her a half-smile. “Just paying off my debt to you like I am to everyone else. You know, for treating you like garbage in the past. I hope this makes up for it a little bit.”

“But, Catra, you never owed me any kind of debt.” Scorpia pulls her old friend into a hug, which makes Catra stiffen briefly before she hugs her back. As she lets go, she continues, “All you had to do was be better. And you are! I forgave you a long time ago. Everyone did. I’m just glad that you’re proving to all of them that you really were good deep down, like I always told them, wildcat.”

Catra laughs quietly, and then throws herself in for another brief hug. “I’m really happy for you and Perfuma.”

“And I’m really happy for you and Adora. Do I get to be a bridesmaid, by the way? When you guys inevitably get married?”

For the first time, Catra turns as bright red as Adora does. “Shut up!”

Scorpia chuckles and ruffles her hair, and they walk back to Bright Moon together arm in arm, equal for the first time. 

As real friends.


End file.
